Following Footsteps
by Dauntlesstribute4
Summary: Maya Seaton is just an ordinary District 4 girl who is trying to protect her family, but when her name and her best friend's name is drawn at the Reaping, how far will she go to go back home to her family? P.S. I will post a picture later the sight isn't letting me. :P


Following Footsteps

Prologue

The 60th Hunger Games

Every single person in the crowded square of District 4 had a terrified look on their face. As always, on reaping day, the families are walking together in tight groups holding hands as the children check in. Some look close to tears, while some of the older boys and girls had eager looks on their faces, ready to volunteer. Peacekeepers line the edge of the crowds, making sure no terrified 12-year olds try to escape. As the crowd of kids begins to check in, a trio of girls slowly makes their way through the dense crowds. The one in the middle, who seems to be the oldest, is walking the path like she's done this before, while the other two look terrified. As they reach the check-in counter, the youngest one, maybe about 8, gives her sisters a long hug and runs to join her parents. The sisters check in and walk their separate ways. The younger one joins the throng of 13-year olds, while the older one joins the confident-looking 18-year olds. How it works in District 4, since there are usually so many volunteers, is that the Peacekeepers draw a name before the reaping, and if that person volunteers then they become the tribute. Neither girls will be jumping to volunteer, but if either of their names is drawn then they're in trouble. The older one's name is in the most, so they are mostly concerned about her, but all she has to do is get through this reaping and she'll be safe. The family has never had to take tesserae because the father gets a lot of money from the market, but the older one's name is in 36 times so the odds aren't exactly in her favor. As the last of the young kids get through, the stylish escort, Jewel Lexington, starts the Reaping out as she always does, with her cheerful voice and sky blue outfit standing out amongst the dreary faces.

"Welcome, Welcome all of you!" she says happily, "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be EVER in your favor!"

She then continues to review the History of Panem, the mayor makes a small speech, and the reaping begins.

"Ladies first!" Jewel says.

You could hear a pin drop as Jewel digs into the bowl with her lavishly painted nails into the glass bowl and draws out a slip of paper. She carefully unfolds it, and she reads out in a loud clear voice that rings out over the square,

"Maya Seaton."

Thousands of hears turn to look at the small girl with a shocked look on her face. Dozens of people volunteer, mostly coming from the 17 or 18-year-old sections, but one voice rings out over all the rest.

"I volunteer!" Screams the older girl.

Immediately the voices stop. None of the other voices had the desperation or the grief in their tone like this girl did. Jewel turns to a Peacekeeper on the stage, and the man pauses before slowly nodding his head. Jewel turns back to the microphone with a huge smile.

"We have a volunteer!" she says.

The Peacekeepers escort the older girl through the crowds. You can hear the 8 year old girl screaming and sobbing into her mother's shoulder on the edge of the crowd, but the 13-year-old girl was just standing there with a shocked look on her face, a tear slowly sliding down her cheek. She must hold it together; because she knew her reaction would be televised. Another name was called, more people volunteered, but the girl heard nothing of it. All she could do was stare hopelessly at her sister, who was staring straight ahead for fear of breaking into tears if she looked at her sister. The two tributes shook hands, and the girl disappeared into the Justice Building.

She never came home.

Chapter 1

(4 years later)

I emerged from the salty depths of the South Harbor of District 4 to the grey dawn sky. My fishing spear, laden with 4 large fish, is feeling extremely heavy in my hands, but over the years I've developed stable muscles so the weight doesn't bother me at all. At least my family won't be hungry this morning. I throw my spear into the small, rickety, family fishing boat and heave myself over the edge. My spear lays forgotten on the bottom of the boat as I gobble down my breakfast. The harbor is just now starting to fill up with early morning fishermen getting breakfast for their families. Owning a fishing boat in District 4 is a really good advantage if you want to eat, because the vegetable and fruit markets are only open one day a week. However, you can only go fishing on the South Harbor because the other harbors are the most abundant in fish and therefore where everyone goes to work every day. We can only go fishing at dawn before work starts or late at night after work ends. However, today there will be no one working. In a few hours everyone will be making there way towards the square, where an unfortunate boy and girl will be taken to the Capitol. Next year will be my last reaping, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm safe. My older sister, Serena, volunteered for me when I was only 13, and she never came back. Today is my younger sister's first reaping, and I'll never forgive myself if she's the one that's on that train.

As I pack away my supplies, I hear a voice coming from the pier,

"Maya! Maya!"

I turn around to see my best friend Ryder standing on the pier waving his arms. I smile, wave back, and start the motor. It takes a few minutes to get to shore, but when I do he's there to greet me. Together we pull the boat to shore.

"What are you doing out this early?" I ask.

"Well I came to your house, but you weren't there. I wanted to see if you would like to go to the training grounds with me." He said.

The only thing that's never closed on Reaping Day is the training grounds. It's not like Districts 1 or 2 when children between the age of 12 and 18 are obligated to go to a training academy. You can either decide to go to the training grounds to start training hard for the Games, or go to work at the Harbor to earn extra money for your family. Ryder and I alternate days between the training grounds and working, but we mostly work to earn money for our family. We aren't poor like District 12 families, but we don't have a huge, lavish house like most of the "Career" families. We just have a simple two-story house where we each have our own room. Most kids on Reaping Day go to do some last-minute training before the Reaping in case their name is picked.

"Sure." I say. "Just let me drop these fish off at my house."

Together we make our way back to my house. Early risers have already started to head to the Harbor to catch breakfast, and in the distance I see the Peacekeepers finishing the final details on the stage for the Reaping.

"How you feeling about today?" Ryder asks.

I stare at him. He knows how I feel about each Reaping ever since Serena volunteered for me, and how scared I am for Brooke.

"What do you think?" I say quietly.

"I think that if Brooke's name is drawn, you will be the first to volunteer." He said.

"Brooke's name will not be drawn." I say forcefully.

"I'm just saying-"

"Well DON'T!" I snap.

He looks down. I know he's probably right. But at least her name is only in one time. Suddenly I feel really bad for snapping at him. He's just trying to protect me, like always.

"Listen, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I just….you don't know what it's like, having someone you love go to their death and you can't do anything about it."

He looks at me. "You're right, I don't. But she died 4 years ago. Maybe it's time to move on."

"Brooke is the only sister I have left. I'm going to make sure that she stays safe."

Ryder knows by my tone of voice that the conversation has ended, so we walk the rest of the way in silence. When we reach my house, I walk inside to find my mother washing dishes and my father sitting at the table reading. I set the fish on the counter next to my mom, and she smiles at me in greeting. Sometimes I wonder how someone as beautiful as my mom has a daughter as ugly as me. I don't have her luscious long black hair or gentle green eyes; instead I have my father's wavy brown hair and piercing blue eyes. I also have plenty of scars from the reefs by the pier. Mom sets the fish in the sink.

"By the looks of it you had a successful fishing trip!" she says brightly.

I shrug, "Just lucky I guess."

"It's not luck, it's skill." She says.

I smile, embarrassed of being complimented so much in front of Ryder.

"Ryder and I were going to go to the training grounds to train before—before the Reaping." I say.

Her smile falters, and I feel sorry for reminding her of the Reaping. But her smile returns just as quick as it left, but this time she has a concerned, worried look in her eyes.

"Of course. Just come back 30 minutes before so you can get ready." She says.

"Thanks Mrs. Seaton!" Ryder says.

She nods in reply and turns back to the sink. I give a quick goodbye hug to Dad and run out the door with Ryder at my heels.

The training grounds of District 4 are pretty much a large field bordered by a barbed wire fence. It's kind of like an outdoor Training Center, with lots of different sections with instructors at each section. The kinds of sections range from sword fighting to knot making, but since we're a Career district, people tend to head straight for the weapons. Once Ryder and I check in and go through the gate, there are already a few stray 18-year-olds prepping themselves in case they're the ones going. For most families, it's an honor to go to the Games and represent our district, but the rest of us are just mortified that someone would be _willing_ to participate in these stupid Games. Ryder and I part ways as we reach the field. He goes over to the tridents, while I run over to the edible plants section. This is the section I have the most trouble with, since there's barely any plants in District 4. Once I'm sure I got them right, I head over to the archery section. This is the one place that caught my eye as soon as I walked in when I was 12, because that is the place that Serena always went too. I'll probably never match her skill and grace, but I can try. The bow choices range from solid gold to mahogany wood, and I pick up a gracefully curved silver bow. It's the one that Serena always used. The expertly carved bow feels balanced and perfect in my hands since I always use it. Slowly I nock an arrow on my bow, draw it back, aim, and release.

_Thump!_ The arrow hits the target really close to the bull's eye, but not quite in the middle. Frowning, I nock another arrow. As I keep on shooting, I take less time to shoot for each arrow, so I develop a pattern: Draw, Aim, Shoot, Look.

Soon the target has arrows all in the bull's eye. I smile in satisfaction,

"Not bad." I hear behind me.

I roll my eyes and turn around, "Go away Jett."

Jett stands there with a smirk on his face. He winks at me, "Oh come on, you know you enjoy my company."

"Well, actually I was just leaving." I say, putting the bow down.

He stands in my way, really close to me.

" Get out of my way." I say in a dangerous tone.

He sneers, "You gonna make me? Or are you too scared to fight like your puny little runt of a sister?"

As soon as he says that I feel rage fill my whole body. Brooke is actually the strongest person I know. She went through watching her sister dying on screen, and she has been working ever since, every single day. She's actually the one keeping the family going with her optimism. But I know he's just baiting me, testing to see if I will accept the challenge in his words.

"Brooke is way stronger than you will ever be." I say through gritted teeth.

"Now, get—out—of—my—way."

"You gonna make me?" he taunts.

I've had enough of this. I want him to get out of my way.

"Yes." I say.

I throw a punch at his face, but he seems to be expecting it because he catches my wrist. He sneers at me, "That all you—"

He doesn't finish his sentence because I quickly knee him in the stomach. While he's gasping for breath, I say, "No it's not all I got."

Then I punch him in the face, and I quickly run away before he could retaliate.

The rest of the morning, wherever I go, Jett is shooting me furious looks from across the field. He throws the spears with brutal force, like he's imagining my head as the target. It takes all my willpower not to go back there and run him through with an arrow, but I smile in spite of myself. I had beaten him in a fight, and he won't be bothering me again. An hour before the Reaping, a voice rings out over the field, "All trainees please make their way towards the exit. We are closing."

When I hear this I run over to the trident, where Ryder has demolished all the practice dummies. He's never told me why this is the only station he trains in, but all the training seems to be paying off.

"Come on, we need to head home." I say.

He nods and reluctantly puts the trident down. Together we make our way outside the gates. Once we're outside, we give each other a hug.

"Good luck." He whispers.

"You too."

After this brief exchange, we both go our separate ways back to our houses.

Chapter 2

When I reach home, Brooke is already at the table eating lunch. She looks up and smiles as I walk in.

"How dare you go train without me?" she says teasingly. But behind her joking tone I detect actual disappointment. She's been training so hard all year every since she was old enough, and now I didn't wake her up early enough to train on the day that matters most.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." I say, sitting down next to her.

"It's Ok."

There's a moment of silence in which she is looking down at the floor and I'm looking straight at her. I'm pretty sure I know what's going through her mind right now, and I need to put a stop to her train of thought that's going in that direction.

"Brooke, Brooke look at me."

She glances at me for a split second, then looks back at the floor, "I know what you're going to say."

"Then you must know how serious I am."

She finally look straight at me, "I don't care if I don't have a chance of winning. I already saw one sister go to her death, and I'm not watching another sister going to that arena."

I feel a pain in my chest as I remember Serena's death. She had joined the Career pack, and they were hunting in the woods, but the other tributes saw how dangerous she was during training, and they turned on her. She didn't have a chance to raise her bow. I will not let Brooke die because she volunteered for me.

" So that's really brave and noble of you, but if you think I'm going to be like any of those terrified little 12 year olds who don't say a peep when their sister's name is called, then you got another thing going."

"Brooke." I say forcefully. I know she recognizes the desperateness in my words, and I hope she will listen, "If you volunteer for me, then you won't be doing anything to help me. I have a better chance of coming back than you, and you know that. Now, promise me that if my name is called, you will not volunteer."

She hesitates for a few moments, and even though I know she doesn't want too, she says, "I promise."

I nod my head, "Good. Now I need to go get ready."

It doesn't take me long to get ready. I take a short, hot shower and try to comb the knots and tangles out of my long hair. As soon as I have enough time, I think bitterly, I'm cutting my hair. It does nothing to help me while I'm fishing. If anything it's a huge burden. I clip the front back to get it out of my way, and I run to my room to put on my dress. Mom is already in there, laying out my dress on the bed. I feel sick as I recognize it.

"Is that….." I say quietly.

Mom turns around and smiles lightly at me. "I thought maybe you're old enough to wear it." She says.

The dress is a beautiful sky blue dress that comes down to my knees. I slip on the white flats that come with it and look in the full-length mirror. The girl in the mirror doesn't look anything like me. She looks like Serena did when she wore this dress when she was 17. My long hair, now fully dried, comes out in beautiful curls and waves. I hear a pleasant sigh behind me.

"You look just like her." Mom said, running a finger through my hair.

"Yes she does." I hear from the doorway. I turn around to see Brooke standing the doorway wearing a cheerful floral print dress and her blond hair styled into a loose fishtail braid. The heels she's wearing makes her look taller than usual. However, what catches my eye is the necklace she wears. It's a pretty silver necklace with a heart in the middle. Serena gave it to her before she left so that she could have luck in her first reaping. Hopefully it'll pay off.

"You look beautiful." I say, smiling.

"You look like Serena." She says walking over and looking at my reflection with me.

I put my arm around her and hug her, and I wish I could just freeze that moment, and forgot everything. Forget the Hunger Games, forget the Capitol, and live somewhere where no one can hurt our family any more.

"Girls." Dad says in the doorway. "It's time to go."

We both nod simultaneously and walk towards the door. Dad smiles brightly, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"You both look beautiful." He says.

"Thank you." We say at the same time.

"Come on, let's go." Mom said from at the top of the stairs.

The crowded District 4 square is filled with children scrambling to check in. I was planning to find Ryder and wish him luck, but unless he finds me first I won't be finding anybody. Without thinking, I reach down and clamp my hand around Brooke's. She gives me a look that would kill a cat and pulls it away. I smile in spite of myself. She may be nervous, but she doesn't want to come across as a nervous little girl holding tightly to her sister's hand like the others. Before we join the long line to check in, we each give huge hugs to Mom and Dad, and they wish us luck. When it's our turn to have our finger pricked, Brooke finches a little, but you can barely tell. She's much more calm and collected than I was on my first reaping. Once we're through, I turn to her and give her a hug. She may be trying to hold it together, but she willingly hugs me back.

"I have to go to my section." I say.

"Me too."

I stare into her eyes, looking for any sign of her thinking of breaking her promise, but she breaks away and walks toward the 12-year-old girl section.

As I'm trying to make my way towards the 17-year-old section, I bump into someone.

"Oh sorry-" I start, but then I see who it is.

"Hey Maya." Ryder says, smiling warmly.

I've never realized how great he looks. His dark, wavy hair looks neatly combed, and he wears a light green shirt that really brings out his sea-green eyes…What am I thinking? Snap out of it!

"Hey."

"Wow, you look like…..like a girl!" he says laughing.

I smile softly, too. He said that because I usually wear comfortable pants and a shirt, and the occasional skirt, but NEVER a dress.

"Yeah well, it was Serena's." I say.

"Ahhhhh." He nods in understanding.

We stand there awkwardly for a second.

"Well, got to go…." He says.

We hug, than I run into the throng of 17-year-olds chattering and laughing like they're actually excited to be here. I feel out of place, so I just stand there awkwardly until our flouncy escort, Jewel Lexington, stands up to the microphone and taps it twice.

"Welcome!" she says cheerily. Most of the younger ones jump as if woken up from a spell. "Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be EVER in your favor!"

The Capitol video plays, and Jewel turns back to the mic.

"Now, remember, volunteers are only eligible if the person's name was drawn prior to the Reaping, because we have so many _willing _boys and girls!"

She says this with a proud smile, but not many people smile back.

Her smile doesn't falter when she says, "As always, ladies first!"

The only sound in the square is the sound of Jewel's unnaturally high heels on the polished wood stage as she walks toward the large glass bowl containing all the girl's names. She fishes around in the bowl until she grabs one on the bottom of the bowl. I hold my breath as she unfolds he paper, hoping that Brooke Seaton is not the name that comes out of her mouth. The tall boys and girls surrounding me are poised, ready to volunteer. Jewel clears her throat, and, I'm sure she's trying to be dramatic on purpose, taps the microphone two times.

And, for the second time in my life, she reads my name off of that slip of paper.

Chapter 3

When Jewel says my name, I freeze right on the spot. Suddenly I'm back in my second reaping, when my name is called out. But there is no sister to volunteer for me this time…unless…. I try to find Brooke among the crowd as the Peacekeepers lead me up, but it isn't until I'm on the stage that I see her. My sister, who hasn't cried in 4 years, has a tear slowly sliding down her cheek. But she doesn't say a word, so I sort of smile gratefully at her.

"That's the spirit, dear!" Jewel said.

She turns toward the Peacekeeper behind her to see if any of the volunteers were eligible, and my last ray of hope diminishes when he shakes his head.

"Now for the boys!" she says like choosing a name from a bowl gives her the most pleasure in the world.

As she digs around in the bowl and pulls out a slip of paper, I realize the only thing that could make this situation worse is if…

"Ryder Glass." Jewel reads.

My heart sinks to my stomach as Ryder walks up to the stage. None of the volunteers are eligible, no matter how many brutal looking boys volunteer. It's only now that tears are threatening to creep into my eyes as I realize that if I am to win, my best friend has to die.

"Ladies and gentleman, our tributes from District 4!" Jewel says, "Shake hands you two!"

As I turn to shake his hand, I search for any sign of grief, anything that shows that we will still be friends, but all I see in his eyes is emptiness, determination. One thing for sure, this isn't the Ryder I know. That cold stare does not belong to my best friend. And if he's already determined to win, I'm already dead.

The Peacekeepers escort us to the Justice Building in silence. My attempts to make eye contact with Ryder are in vain, since he just stares ahead the whole way. I hear families laughing together in relief. Tonight my family will have the blinds down and the door locked while the other families celebrate another year of safety for their children. The Peacekeeper leads me into a beautifully furnished room with mahogany tables and lush couches. I take a few deep breaths to calm myself before I burst into tears, and I just finished calming myself when my family walks in the door. Brooke launches herself into my arms, all dignity and containment of emotions gone. She cries softly into my arms for a few seconds until I push her away.

"Brooke, thank you." I say.

"For what? Sending you to your death?" she says wiping her tears

"No. For keeping your promise."

She nods, and then carefully removes the necklace. She puts it in my hands. I try to put it back in protest, but she shakes her head.

"This was supposed to give me luck. But you need it more than I do." She says.

I smile and kiss her on her forehead. I move my gaze toward my parents, who have been watching us silently. Mom's eyes are red, like she's been crying, and Dad's face is wiped of emotion.

I give them both a huge hug, then look at Mom, "Don't let Brooke take tesserae. She doesn't need it, you'll have plenty of food."

Mom's eyes fill with confidence, "You'll come back. We have to have faith."

I smile softly; pleased at least someone believes I will return, "I'm just taking precautions."

Dad looks at me, "Win for us and come back" he says, smiling.

"You're a fighter, I know you'll win." Brooke says, coming up from behind me.

A Peacekeeper opens the door, interrupting us, and herds my family out the door.

"See you in a few weeks!" I say, trying to be cheerful and upbeat. But as soon as the door closes, I sit down hard on the couch and cry softly into my hands, so as to not make any sound.

I don't have any other visitors. I have no other family or friends that would bother to say a good farewell. So I have to just sit and wait for Ryder to finish visiting with his immense circle of friends and family. The silver heart necklace feels cold on my neck, and my hair starts to bother me so I tie it up. Oh, what I would give to get out of this dress and change into some pants and a shirt. Twenty minutes after my family visits me, a Peacekeeper comes to fetch me, with Ryder in tow. We load into the truck with Jewel in the middle of us, chattering away about how we're going to love the Capitol. Well at least one of us is happy about the outcome of the Reaping. The train station is filled with excited cameramen and reporters, but the Peacekeepers keep them at bay. I try to look straight ahead and not waver from my bored, emotionless look. I'm glad once we're on the train and moving along the tracks. The train is obviously Capitol-made, with crystal chandeliers, comfortable couches, and lavish food choices.

"Well, I must say, you too are the most attractive tributes I've ever seen." Jewel said, beaming at us. "One male tribute that won a while back was plenty aggressive, but the ugly scars made him less desirable in the Capitol. I'm sure the Capitol citizens will LOVE you!"

When we don't respond, Jewel awkwardly clears her throat. "Well, help yourselves to anything on the table over there—the chocolate raspberry cake is excellent—and I am going to make sure your rooms are ready."

As soon as she leaves the room I wish she hadn't. Ryder and I don't move at all. We just sit there awkwardly, like this is the first time we've met. He's the first one to speak.

"Do you know where our mentor is?"

Come to think of it, I haven't seen him anywhere. Not even at the Reaping, where attendance is obligatory for everyone.

"No." I reply flatly.

He looks concerned, "What's wrong?" he says.

I glare at him, "Well you weren't exactly civil to me at the Reaping, or even after it! You acted like you didn't know me at all!" I hiss.

His brow furrows, "If we showed any sign of friendship, I figured the Gamemakers would see the footage and target us even more. I did it to protect you, you know."

I know he's right, but I don't want to admit it.

"Look, I know we can't ignore the inevitable, that either one of us or both of us are going to die, but lets cherish the last moments we have together, OK?" he says quietly.

He must see my glare soften, because he smiles at me wearingly. Suddenly I feel an urge to eat. As I get up, Ryder looks thoughtfully out the window, probably already trying to figure out a strategy.

I load my plate with one of everything. I also order a glass of something on the menu called orange juice. I only had it once at home, and I loved it.

When I sit down at the table in front of Ryder, he snorts, "You're going to fatten yourself so much that you won't survive one day in the Games!"

I let out a huff of breath, "Well I actually was going to share with you!"

He raises an eyebrow. I actually wasn't, but now that I think about it I was probably not going to eat it all. I push the plate to the middle so that it's right in the middle. He shrugs and his fingers linger over the chocolate-raspberry cake. We're eating silently in the room when the door opens. We both stand up and turn around to see a handsome tall, blond haired man coming into the room. His eyes linger over us, sizing us up, and finally he smiles and says, "Hello, I'm Finnick Odair, your mentor."

We all sit down on the couches. Finnick glances over at the empty plates "Look like you two already helped yourself."

Ryder bows his head shamefully, but I sit up straighter and nod.

"I didn't have breakfast or lunch today so I was quite hungry." I say.

Finnick stares at me, his blue eyes taking in everything, my dress, my hair, my muscles, my expression of indifference.

"And just when I hoped I wouldn't get a couple of arrogant blockheads this year." He mumbles. This statement makes me angry.

"I am NOT an arrogant blockhead thank you very much. Ryder will back me up on this one. I'm nothing like the usual Careers."

"She's right." Ryder pipes up, "She's been focused on keeping her family safe ever since her sister volunteered for her in the 60th Hunger Games four years ago."

Finnick raises his eyebrows at me, "Serena Seaton was your sister?"

I nod slowly, "My name is Maya."

A flash of emotion passes through Finnick's eyes, is that…guilt? But it's gone as soon as it appears, and he smiles at me, but this time his smile has lost it's sarcasm and artificialness.

"Well then, Ms. Seaton, forgive me for judging you too fast." His gaze turns to Ryder, "And what is your name?"

"Ryder Glass." He replies.

Finnick nods slowly, savoring the name, "Well, you're both pretty young and good looking, which means you will already have sponsors, but we have to figure out what your image will be once we arrive in the Capitol," he smiles sarcastically, "Once I get to know you two better."

"Should we get to talking about to talking about strategy?" Ryder asks eagerly.

Finnick puts out his hands, "Yes, of course, but first why don't you too get changed and settled into your rooms. Meet me back here in twenty minutes."

He rises, so we take that as a cue and slowly stand up. Jewel sashays into the room, "Come on dears, your rooms are ready!"

She motions for us to walk through the sliding door she just came out of, and as we're walking that way I remember something. I turn back to Finnick.

"Finnick?" I say.

He looks up at me, and his blue eyes give me chills, as if he was reading my mind.

"Why weren't you at the Reaping today? Aren't mentors supposed to attend?"

He stares at me for a few seconds, analyzing me,"That," he says, "Is none of your business."

I turn around and walk past Jewel through the door.


End file.
